The doll is one of 24,000 that have been made by the Springtree ladies of Dolls for World Peace, and recently batches of hundreds of dolls were sent to calm the children of Haiti. The dolls are simple: two tracings of cloth cut out, sewn together, stuffed and a face and buttons drawn on.

The group was started by Denyse Duda in November 2007 when she wanted to make an impact in Darfur.

"The kids in Darfur have nothing, nothing, nothing," Duda said. "I saw the desolation of Darfur and I wanted to do something."

Without the ability to send money or medical supplies, she decided to send love and comfort. Duda cut up a pink T-shirt in the shape of a doll and ripped open one of her cushions to use the stuffing. Forrest sewed on eyes and a smile with thick purple string. Since the first 1,000 that went to Darfur, dolls have been sent around the world to Israel, Paris, Haiti, Nepal, Rwanda, Nigeria and Iraq for the soldiers to hand out to children.

In a room set aside for Dolls for World Peace, an assembly line is set up, each woman taking on a task. Some sew the pieces of fabric together on donated sewing machines, others reach into boxes of stuffing to fatten the dolls, and then there are those that complete the package by putting the dolls into a plastic bag along with a diaper and baby wipe.

"I feel like when they see this, they hug it," said Paula Lerisa, putting a doll into a bag. "[They're] nice and soft."

While the women imagine the children who will get these soft, smiling dolls, they are on their own road to healing. Hands wracked by Parkinson's disease calm to sew and minds afflicted with dementia become focused on stuffing. Forrest said that family members coming to visit have been brought to tears watching their family members so driven with a purpose again.

"For some crazy reason, when they walk into that room, there are no ailments," Forrest said. "It helps everyone it touches."

Alzora Simmons joined the Dolls for World Peace mission a year ago and said that it keeps her busy. After 34 years of teaching in Broward County, she doesn't plan on just sitting around any time soon. She said she is able to do everything except use the sewing machines. Today, she is stamping the return address of the rehab center on a sticker and then sticks it on the plastic bags.